THE ELIZABETH SERIES
CHAPTER NINETY-SIX
DEATH COMES IN THREES
RATING: PG-13
CHARACTERS: M, D, A, Amy, Joe, W, OC's Elizabeth, Claire, Guy, Joey, Nick, Megan
SUMMARY: Three deaths is too many, especially in such a short amount of time.
DISCLAIMER: All characters and concepts you recognize from Highlander: The Series are owned by Panzer/Davis, and maybe Greg Widen. Just using them for fun, no profit is expected or pursued.
~~~~~
APRIL 9, 2013
PHOENIX
It was all a blur. One minute, Nick was in the rental car talking to Guy nice and calm, and the next minute Guy had his Beretta out and trained through the driver's side window, across Nick, at Warren Cochrane, who was holding Megan hostage. Nick believed that he was well trained and could keep a cool head under pressure, but seeing his new wife with a mad immortal's gun at her temple made him dizzy. He didn't have time to process that he should get with the program. He had been trained and knew what to do when these kinds of situations arose, and thankfully they didn't happen often. They certainly didn't happen to the love of his life. At the thought that he actually had a love of his life, and that she was now in danger, Nick became even more wigged out.
When Nick's head stopped buzzing and he was able to take a breath, he realized that Guy had gotten out of the car and was now near the hood of the car, still holding his gun on Warren, who held his gun at Megan's temple. Since Warren's attention wasn't on him, Nick took the opportunity to open the driver door slowly as he pulled his own gun out of its holster under his jacket.
Warren's hand shook while he held the gun on Megan and he roared at Guy, "Why are you following me?!"
To Nick's surprise, Guy sounded quite calm when he replied, not ready to explode like he felt, "Because you're doing things like this. This isn't right, buddy. Just not right."
"I'm not your buddy! I'm not your pal. You're nothing to me."
The narrow opening in the door, allowed Nick to slip out of the car and let the car door close softly by itself. He kept crouched down, his hand holding onto his gun firmly, and flipped off the safety. Megan appeared to be in a trance. Her eyes were closed and her body was moving with Warren as he fidgeted while holding her from behind.
Guy cracked, "Well, that hurt my feelings. After everything we've been through? Come on, Warren. It's us. Friends. You're not alone in the world. Just let her go."
"She was snooping around. Just like you all snoop around. You don't live life, you watch others do it."
"You may see it like that," Guy said, still calm, but Nick could see that there were beads of sweat on his forehead. Nick didn't know if he was losing his cool and confidence or it was because of the near 90 degree Arizona "dry" heat. All Nick knew was that he had to get Megan away from Warren, but any movements toward him would only result in Megan getting a bullet in her brain.
"But it's just a job, man," Guy continued. "I have a wife and kids. A little girl in the hospital right now, but I have to be here right now instead of with her and my beautiful wife because you're killing and taking innocent people hostage."
"At least you have a wife. You didn't lose her." Warren's voice was cracking with pain and anger. His entire body shook after that statement, making Megan shake with him, and then he screamed, "It's not fun!"
"I don't imagine it is," Guy said with continued calm, which was starting to irritate Nick; who had to restrain himself not to shoot Warren where he stood right there and then. It wasn't as if he wouldn't revive, he could do it. Only thing was, Nick didn't have confidence in his aim right then, and he could accidently shoot Megan or Warren might in the midst of his last conscious breath.
"Has to be tough. Something I don't want to experience. In fact, Megan here is someone's wife. Did you know she married Nick?"
When Nick's name was mentioned, Warren looked at the car, and became livid that Nick wasn't there any longer. Warren aimlessly waved his gun around him trying to figure out where Nick could have gone, which made Nick edge around the car to Guy's side. What tore at Nick's heart was that Megan cried out in pain, and he realized he shouldn't be crouching in fear of getting shot again, he should be helping his wife. Nick took the gun out of his hand and brushed his sweaty palm on his pant leg, then put the gun back in his right hand and stood up defiantly, gun trained at Warren's face.
"Let her go, or we will shoot," Nick said with what he hoped was a confidence that he didn't feel.
Guy added, "If she's hurt, you will die. Really die. We'll shoot you dead and use your own sword on you to relieve your body of your worthless head."
There was a look on Warren face that Nick considered to be indifference. Great. It didn't make any difference to him if he lived or died. Watching Megan look at him pleadingly sent shivers down Nick's back. "She's pregnant!" he blurted out.
"What would Brynn think?" Guy suddenly asked.
As far as Nick was concerned, Guy hit the nail on the head with that comment. All of a sudden, Warren's eyes flashed pure evil and he dropped the arm holding Megan to him. He leered at Guy as he trained his gun at Guy's forehead and slowly walked forward.
"Go ahead. Shoot. Only I will too, and I won't miss."
Nick's only thought was getting Megan out of Warren's line of sight. As she came toward the back of the car, Nick met her, wrapped his arms around her and brought her to safety at the back of the other side of the car. He kissed her and helped her down to the cement, then put his mind to helping Guy out of the current situation as best he could. Once again, he could take a shot at Warren, but Warren could also kill Guy with his own gun. Nick didn't know what kind of a shot he was and wasn't terribly confident in his own aim at this moment. It pissed him off. He was a trained Watcher. He had gone through hostage and emergency instruction, but now it all went out the window. It had to be Megan's involvement. That fact drove the ABC's of what to do and when right out of his head.
Warren now had his gun at Guy's forehead. Guy had actually dropped his gun arm to his side. He was completely in Warren's control. To Nick's surprise, Guy was actually able to speak. "Now, Warren. That wasn't sporting. How would she feel about you doing this?"
"Shut up about Brynn! She was worth fifty of you."
"Got no argument there."
"I'm tired of you following me! Get your own life!"
"I certainly will. As soon as you shape up, buddy."
"I'm tired of it all! I just want it to end!"
"You can do something about that," Guy said. "Put the gun down. Get some help. We can help you. Let us help you."
Nick moved around the back of the car and trained his gun at Warren's side.
"Help me? What can you possibly do for me? Help me like you helped Brynn? I don't need your help!"
When Warren clicked the safety down on his gun, it was a signal to move. Nick fired at Warren, hoping that Warren's trigger finger wouldn't involuntarily move and he'd shoot Guy. The gunshot cracked through the air and some birds in a tree flapped away. To Nick's horror, he saw that both Warren and Guy had fallen limp to the pavement.
~~~~~
NEW YORK CITY
When Elizabeth felt Methos' immortal buzz after exiting the elevator on their floor of the hotel, she breathed a sigh of relief. The way Duncan told it, Methos was not only out of his mind, but running away from him as if his life depended on it. There had been a small glimmer of terror that Methos had left her and everyone for good, but she had to check the hotel in hopes that he would come back to her for comfort. She had a glimmer of an idea about what was wrong, but she couldn't be sure. Nothing had made sense to her for a very long time. In fact, ever since they had moved to the castle in Kent, things had been totally awry.
Elizabeth swished her keycard and opened the door. To no one's amazement, Methos was stretched in front of the TV drinking a beer with his feet up on the coffee table. She was glad that he smiled at her and in fact toasted her by lifting his beer bottle and taking a swig.
Making a point to show him what she was doing, Elizabeth held her keycard up and slid it into her pants pocket. "Always want to keep that handy," she said. Methos grinned, but averted his eyes back to the TV.
"Never know when you're going to need it," she said, taking off her coat. "I had no idea where you were. Took off kind of fast..."
"Mac was boring me."
"Wasn't about Alexa, was it?"
Methos simply exhaled with impatience and took another swig of beer. "I'm pleased that you feel jealousy once in a while, but don't go overboard."
"I had an awful thought that you left for good."
"I wouldn't do that."
She was going to say he had before, but refrained. Elizabeth was pleased to hear that option wasn't on his mind at present. "If you weren't here, I would have looked through the city for you, street by street, after I checked outgoing flights."
"Would have been quite a task."
"But I would have done it."
"I'm not pining for Alexa, if that's what you're skirting around asking me. Mac told you what we were talking about? He's the worst gossip."
"I know you're not pining for her. Now, anyway."
"Good."
Elizabeth hung her coat in the closet, as usual making sure her sword was tucked into the folds in case Claire went in there.
"It's good, that you know."
"I know you love me." Elizabeth sat next to him on the sectional and took his hand. To mimic Methos, she put her feet up on the coffee table. "Even if you don't love me as much as you loved Alexa, I'm satisfied. I've never been so loved, even if I am second best."
"You're not second best. I love you more than anyone."
"Good." A thrill raged through her at those simple words. She squeezed his hand.
"That's not why I had to leave. I just... needed air."
"I suppose. It's pretty overwhelming. It seems that Amanda and Duncan haven't given it another thought."
"What?"
"I didn't have to tell Amy about Katie, she and Guy figured it out on their own. Can you imagine?"
Methos drained his beer, as Elizabeth mused, "How?" not really expecting an answer, just trying to figure it out for herself.
Methos said, "Guy found precedents in the database."
"No, I know that."
"Then what how?"
"How did we miss it? How did we not guess? Figure it out? Think it was a possibility? Aren't we supposed to think about consequences for actions? Isn't that how we're supposed to stay alive? How did we miss it?"
Methos stared at her with what seemed to be awe, and then tossed the empty beer bottle over his shoulder and squeezed her hand. "You thought that on your own?"
"Um, yes. I can figure things out. Okay, maybe too late, but things do come to me. When Amy already knew, the only thing I could think of was how did we miss it? I mean, you have an excuse. You were immersed in thinking about that damn dream, with a female doctor that wasn't there. You may be slipping in the prophetic dream department, my dear."
"That's amazing," Methos said with a smile and eyes that still looked at nothing but her as if she had stunned him. "I mean, I knew I could trust you with my head and everything, but you actually thought the same thing I did."
Elizabeth continued as if he hadn't interrupted, "How am I going to protect not only my head, but yours and Claire's, if something as simplistic as an immortal donating a kidney to a mortal turns them into one of us. What else am I not seeing? I know I don't see a lot, as you keep telling me to stop being stupid, but... you know what I mean."
"I do." Methos smiled wide and kissed her cheek. "We're amazing. We'll go through life half blind, I guess."
"As long as it's together." Elizabeth kissed him back, and soon she was sitting on his lap, taking him in while he seemingly caressed every part of her. She suddenly stopped and said, "I hate Alexa."
"You don't have to. There's nothing to be jealous of."
"Don't be stupid," she teased. "I hate her because you loved her so much, and I hate you sometimes because you have a knack of giving your whole being to the one you love, even if it meant losing your head. I appreciate it, but remember, I almost took your head."
"How could I forget? Besides, that was Pyrius."
Elizabeth felt Methos' finger trace the remnant of a cut to her neck that Methos had inflicted upon her in Seacouver many years before. He whispered sadly, "That was me."
She pushed his hand down. "Because of Pyrius. I hate Pyrius and Alexa. Because of the both of them, you almost lost your head. I hate that you needed an answer for her disease so badly death seemed like a better option than watching her die when you couldn't save her. If you had, we would never have met and my life would be nothing. I wouldn't be friends with Amanda and Duncan, for sure. Probably."
"Why not? You would have still met them at Amy's wedding."
"You know how many weddings I've been to? I haven't remained friends with people I met at weddings. I really met them and became friends with them because of you. Because of you, you big lug, I stayed in New York for the wedding in the first place. If not for you, I would have started a new life in Boston. Logan scared the shit out of me."
"You stuck around for little old me?" That dapper, sly smile made her heart flutter.
"How could I not?"
"You were smitten?"
"Something wrong with that?"
"Not at all."
~~~~~
Still in New York City, in a hotel room opposite the Gordon's, which was costing him a fortune, Wamre couldn't wait to flip the switch on the electrode he had implanted in the immortal to obtain new data to compare with the previous data recorded.
~~~~~
Methos couldn't remember being happier. When Elizabeth said, "We're not going to think about the close calls. Let's just think about how we're going to cover all the bases from now on. We have to think more. We have to imagine there's always another way, another consequence," he almost shed tears of happiness. Suddenly, he had to have her, here, now. A thought came to him, one that wasn't even in his vocabulary before he had met Elizabeth and made himself a family. "Where's Claire?" Who'd have thought he would have to worry about a kid walking in on him making love to his wife. Wife and daughter were gifts that he once thought would never happen to him. Not permanently, anyway. He had married mortals and raised their children, but they were never 'his.' Elizabeth even made all the previous wives no longer seem as if they were 'his.'
Elizabeth peppered him with kisses on his neck and suddenly did something very interesting with her tongue against his ear before whispering, "With Amy, Joe, and Joey. They were going to go for supper. Katie's doing so well."
"Make love to me."
With a soft purr, Elizabeth murmured, "My pleasure."
Before they could get the ball rolling, however, Elizabeth said, "Oh, and it's going to be a birthday party for you instead of a 'hero' party, so Claire and Joey won't know what's up. In fact, it's going to be a surprise birthday party, but I know you hate surprises, so I'm telling you. Just act surprised."
'Just stop talking,' he thought, but grunted, "Okay."
"The fifteenth is right around the corner. What do you want for your birthday, big guy?"
"Just you. Now."
"You're a cheap date," Elizabeth giggled and kissed him as he rolled them onto the couch.
"Don't put yourself down like that, my love," he said as he made himself comfortable on top of her, pushing his leg between hers.
They suddenly fell on the floor, and Methos felt a sharp jabbing prick on his back and cried out at the abrupt pain. Elizabeth rolled off him and choked back her laughter to look at him with worry. "Did I hurt you?"
Adjusting the way he was laying on the floor between the couch and coffee table, Methos said, "Something did. It's my back."
Elizabeth shoved the coffee table away and Methos rolled over. She lifted up his shirt, and he felt her hand rub across his spine. "No, to the right and down."
"Where your incision was?"
Her hands were warm as she felt and kneaded the spot that had once held a kidney, making him want her even more. "I don't see anything. You know," she said as he turned over, sat up and stretched, thinking that would help the gnawing pain he was still feeling. "People who lose limbs have like phantom pains. Maybe that's what you're going through."
"Maybe," Methos said, feeling his erection still wanting attention. "Whatever. You and me. Now."
Elizabeth didn't have to be told twice. She laid over him and they fumbled to lose their clothes as soon as earthly possible. He felt a cold blast of air after Elizabeth had zipped open his pants, then her warm hand covered his erection as he tried to relieve her of her blouse.
Another jolt of pain went through him, and Methos jerked and grunted. Elizabeth pulled her hand away and asked, "Too hard?"
He knew there was a joke in there somewhere, but he wasn't in the mood. It felt as if there was a red hot poker jutting into his side. "Are you sure there wasn't anything there?"
Suddenly, Elizabeth and Methos stared at each other when a worrisome thought obviously came to both of them. Wordlessly, Methos got back on his stomach and Elizabeth lifted his shirt again and kneaded the area where he had surgery.
"There's nothing there... on the outside, anyway. Oh God..." she moaned. "Another thing we didn't think about."
~~~~~
"Sex, sex, sex. That's all this immortal does," Wamre mused, shaking his head, looking at the readouts from the electrode. "Four in the morning, two in the afternoon... wonder if there was a gene that makes these immortals need to do it like fucking rabbits. No wonder they can't procreate. Their sperm's exhausted."
The readouts started to indicate a change in heart rate and blood flow. Having read details of Gordon's body during sex before, he knew this wasn't normal. Wamre grabbed his binoculars and stood at the window, training them on the window across from his hotel. Elizabeth Gordon had gotten up from the floor, disheveled, and stalked to the phone. She was making a call and paced out of frame. Wamre could see the back of Daniel Gordon's head, he had gotten back on the sofa. From the way his head moved to the left, Wamre knew he was more than likely feeling the right side of his back. Wamre immediately shut off the machines.
Elizabeth Gordon came back into view and was holding the phone and looking at Daniel Gordon. He could read her lips: "It stopped?"
Wamre cringed. He had been found out. Now he knew for certain that the test subject could feel it when the electrode was turned on.
~~~~~
"He put something in me!" Methos shouted, pissed as hell. "Can't trust anyone! Remember that!" He stalked to the kitchenette counter and grabbed a sharp knife. Because of the angle, he knew he couldn't reach it to cut and find whatever was in there. He then realized he didn't feel anything. "Must have turned it off or it only hurts when it's revving up or something. No matter." He held the knife out to Elizabeth handle side toward her. "Here. You do it. I can't reach."
"I can't cut you open."
"You have to."
"Duncan's on his way over."
Methos smirked. "He'll have no problem slicing and dicing me. Might be his biggest wish."
"Don't say that," Elizabeth said, walking to him and wrapping her arms around him. It was only then that he saw she was crying.
This couldn't be easy for her. Twice in the past Liz had needed someone to remove a foreign object planted inside her by a malicious weirdo, she couldn't take this lightly. "It's okay," he told her, rubbing her back. "Once this is out of me, it will be okay."
~~~~~
Nick ran to Guy as Megan ran to Warren, both still on the ground. "Guy! Did he get you?" Nick yelled, shaking Guy once he knelt down to him.
Guy opened his eyes. "I don't think so."
"Why did you fall?"
"I didn't want to remain in the gun's line of sight, idiot."
"Idiot? I saved your life."
"I was doing fine myself."
"Yeah, real fine with a bullet pointed at whatever brains you have."
Guy sat up and saw a bloodied Warren with Megan standing over him. "Get her out of here. I'll call backup and wait until he revives. Anyone around?"
"Haven't seen anyone," Nick said, then looked around to make sure. But then Guy said, "You never do."
The parking lot of the apartment building was full of dust and gravel from the dirt road that lead to it, but there weren't any other cars, and they were parked near the trees that lined the lot opposite the rundown apartment building. Nick didn't know why or who Warren was visiting in that building, but now it didn't make any difference at all. He was getting himself and his pregnant wife out of there and calling their involvement in this case over.
Megan stepped back as Guy walked over to Warren's body. He kicked Warren's arm lightly, and there was no response. He took the gun out of Warren's hand and put it in the back of his pants after clicking the safety off.
Nick hugged Megan and he asked if she was all right. He could tell she was more than just shaken when her trembling voice uttered, "Better."
"Let's go."
Megan said, "No. We have to-."
"We're not doing anything," Nick was adamant and held her from going anywhere that involved staying in the situation. "We're out of here. Back to our honeymoon. There are others who can take care of this piece of crap."
"Don't call him that. Didn't you hear him?" Megan asked. "All this is because of Brynn. He misses her and... went crazy."
"Crazy man and you don't mix. Let's go," Nick repeated.
"Yeah," Guy said. "You both go. I'll take care of this."
"Take care of it," Megan said. "In what way?"
Guy took his cell phone out of his pocket and hit a speed dial number. "He's now property of the Watchers."
"We can't get involved."
"We can when he takes a Watcher hostage," Nick said. "Come on, Megan. Let's get out of here."
"You won't... kill him?"
"Depends on him, doesn't it?" Guy asked no one in particular.
Megan finally moved toward the car with Nick but Guy stopped them with a "Hey!" When they turned around, he took one quick look at Warren and then walked toward them. He asked, "You're really pregnant?"
Megan blushed and said, "Yeah," as she rubbed her stomach.
Guy took Megan's hand and kissed it. "Congratulations, ma'am."
Nick asked, "Hey, when did you get all gentlemanly?"
Guy chuckled and said, "I guess there's just something about a chick with a bun in the oven."
"That's the Guy I know and... tolerate," Nick teased.
"Being a guy who is a father and a Watcher," Guy said with no trace of levity. "I have seven sage words of advice."
Megan seemed interested when she asked, "What's that?"
"Get the hell away from the Watchers. Really. It will only cause stress, heartache, and lonely nights when you'd rather be with your wife and kids. Besides, you could only be... what? A month along?"
"Three months, actually."
"Get out now, while you can." Guy went back to the still dead Warren as Nick brought Megan to the car.
"He's a wise man. Who'd have thought?" He asked.
Megan argued, "I really think I should stay. I might be able to talk to him now that we know what the problem is."
"You're not!" Nick said. "He'll shoot you next time. When he wakes up, he's going to be pissed. Not as pissed as me, but pissed."
"He doesn't have a gun," Megan countered. "I might be able to help. I went through negotiation skill training."
"Lot of good it did you five minutes ago. We're out of it."
Warren's body jerked as he took a deep breath. He was still for a moment, and then started to weep. "Why didn't you do it? I thought you were going to end it," he cried out to Guy, as Nick made sure Megan got into the car and they got clear of immortal madness.
~~~~~
The look on Duncan's face was pure concern after Methos had related the problem and the fact that they needed Duncan to kill Methos so they could remove the electrode. Methos, leaving his sentimentality by the wayside, told Duncan, "Just cut and get it over with."
Elizabeth said that she would help, and "It seems that doing it in the tub made sense at your barge with Amanda and me. Less mess to clean."
Duncan tried to joke, "You got maid service," but Elizabeth didn't see the humor.
Sure let maids clean up puddles of blood. She didn't know how much Methos bled, and wasn't too thrilled about finding out. One of those suction deals that Dr. Wamre used during the surgery would come in handy about now. Not only for blood, but for whatever it was he had left in her husband.
Methos had spent the time before Duncan arrived sharpening the knife with a stone. He walked toward the bathroom and lifted off his shirt, then looked down at his jeans. "I like these pants. No need for modesty. You're going to see my insides, you can see me in the all together MacLeod."
"Gee, must be my lucky day."
The approach of another immortal was felt, and Elizabeth went to the door. Through the keyhole, she saw it was Amanda, and opened the door before she was able to ring the bell. "Good afternoon. Is Mac here?"
"Yep," Elizabeth said, motioning to where Duncan was, now fingering the knife he would have to use.
"What's going on?" Amanda asked and looked at the three of them.
"Methos has something implanted in him and Duncan's going to take it out. Do you need help?"
"Oh, God," Amanda declared, disgusted. Elizabeth didn't know if it was from the thought that there was something inside Methos or that Methos would have be cut open.
"I can handle it. I've had practice. Too much practice," Duncan added sourly.
As the men went into the bathroom, Elizabeth asked, "You sure you don't need help?"
"We're good," Duncan said, shutting the door behind them.
Elizabeth was relieved, but then again a small part of her wanted to be there, if only to hold Methos' hand. Then she realized that Methos would be dead. That thought didn't please her.
Amanda dropped the bag from Barney's she was holding. "I suppose showing you my new dress wouldn't be kosher. Not with... that," she pointed to the bathroom, "going on. What happened? How did you know?"
"Methos' has been experiencing pains located in the general area of the surgery that come and go.
Finally, duh!, we figured there must be something in there."
"An electrode? Like James implanted?"
Elizabeth nodded and Amanda tisked. "Such perverts in the world."
"Show me your new dress. I need to think about something else."
The sharp echo of a pained grunt came from the direction of the bathroom. Amanda and Elizabeth looked at each other, then Amanda shrugged. "Well, he's feeling no pain anymore."
Elizabeth took a deep breath to calm herself and opened Amanda's bag. A maroon silk was seen before Amanda took it from her. "This isn't the time, honey." She tossed the bag on the couch. "It's time for a drink. I can let you in on the plans for the party. It should be fun."
"Where at?"
"Downstairs. I rented out the nightclub for the night of the fifteenth. Joe said he will gather his band and play."
"Great. It's been a while since I've heard him play. Such a shame he doesn't..."
Elizabeth swore she could hear Duncan from the bathroom, but didn't catch what it was. She edged to the door and knocked.
"Liz, get in here and help me," Duncan ordered.
Elizabeth took a breath to steel herself for what she might see, and opened the door. She would have needed another 18,000 breaths to take away the pain of seeing Methos lying on his stomach in the bathtub dead. A puncture wound from the knife in the square of his back at his heart, the knife still embedded in Methos (probably where Duncan stabbed it after he made the slash like incision so Methos would stay dead), a deep slash on Methos' lower back, Duncan's hand fishing around inside of him, and blood everywhere. There was even a blood splatter on the sides of the tub. Elizabeth felt so faint, she almost lost it, but hung onto the door jamb and tried to breathe.
"I can't feel anything that shouldn't be there," Duncan said. "Can you make sure I'm not missing anything?"
"Me?"
Amanda gasped from behind her and Elizabeth saw that she was covering her mouth with her hand. Her eyes squinted as if trying not to take it all in.
"Someone," Duncan said, moving so that someone else could kneel next to him to work on the dead Methos. "An electrode the size that James used isn't in here, but there could be anything. Something microscopic, actually. It's a wonder how small things have gotten. I don't see anything. Can you? Anyone?" Duncan looked at them both and then yelled, "Get over here! I want to get this over with!"
Elizabeth jumped and started toward Duncan, but Amanda stopped her. "I'll do it."
"Thanks," Elizabeth only managed a whisper.
Amanda asked, "If Mac ever needs to be cut open, you do it, okay?"
"Deal," Elizabeth replied, hoping that day would never come.
Elizabeth thought she was going to faint, so she felt her way to the vanity seat and slumped upon it. The sight of blood normally didn't even faze her, she had been a nurse in some of the most gruesome wars. Seeing Methos dead hadn't fazed her in Naperville when he fell onto wrought iron spikes, taking Gage with him. She had even watched Methos undergo surgery. This time, the sight made Elizabeth want to throw up and lose consciousness until it was over. Her stomach was doing flip-flops, and it was a gift that Duncan and Amanda's bodies were blocking her view of the dead, bloody, opened body that was her husband.
~~~~~
Guy was almost to headquarters when Warren revived again. After having a tussle to get him into the car after Nick and Megan had gone, Guy didn't want to do it, but he had to shoot him. Having tied his hands behind his back, it had been a quiet, almost pleasant trip through the streets of Phoenix. He had been able to find a good oldies channel on the radio and traffic wasn't too bad, but abnormal clouds cast a shadow upon the Red Mountain, making them appear a violent purple instead.
Once Warren revived, it was just a matter of driving faster to get to Headquarters so he could get rid of him and talk to Joe, who was on his way to Phoenix. Guy had called him with the news that it was past time for watching Warren, after the kidnaping of Megan, and take care of him or get care for him. Guy, himself, didn't want to make the decision about what was to be done. After Warren started kicking the door and yelling at the top of his lungs, Guy thought about taking out his pistol and depositing another bullet in him. It was only Amy's voice in his ear that stopped him. "You can't just kill them. It hurts them, and it's just not right." He answered her aloud, "It might not be right, but it'd help!" over Warren's grunts and screams.
Guy blasted through the barrier to the parking lot of Headquarters and thought he'd explain later, after he spotted a cop car a block away and didn't want a riled Warren to draw their attention. There was no explaining to cops. Guy would be arrested and have to play dumb if a cop pulled them over and saw Warren tied up with blood stains all over him. The prospect of having to bring another innocent cop bystander into the Watcher organization was something he didn't want to do. All Guy wanted to do was get rid of Warren and get back to Katie, Amy, and Joey, and his life in general. Guy loved being a Watcher, but there were times that it just didn't seem worth it. A high paying job as an aesthetician held a lot of esteem in situations such as this.
With the rental car parked near the door to the offices, Guy turned off the car and got out, just as two security officers were edging to the vehicle with their guns trained on him. Guy pulled up his left sleeve to reveal his Watcher tattoo. "I'm one of you. Got a drop off."
One of the guards holstered his weapon and asked, "Why drive through the barrier?"
Guy didn't have to explain. Once the other guard opened the back door and got a hand on Warren's arm to pull him out of the car, Warren's guttural yells and croaks could have awakened the dead. Guy moved to help keep a handle on Warren, and then it all happened way too fast. Obviously in the car, Warren had been moving around to loosen the rope around his wrists. The guard must have been just as surprised as Guy was when the rope fell free to the concrete and Warren pulled the gun right out of the guard's hand and turned it on him. Warren fired two shots straight into the guard's chest.
Guy tried to step back, get out of the way, and talk to Warren but didn't have a chance. He was hit by what felt like two bullets and fell before he could do or say anything. There was another shot, then Guy could see Warren turn and fire. Guy heard a body fall on the other side of the car. He moved his head. From under the car, Guy could see the other guard staring blankly at him in a sprawled position. His gun was still in his hand. Guy kept as still as he could, hoping Warren wouldn't see he wasn't dead, yet, and take another pot shot at him. He was so angry that it took all the strength he had to remain still and quiet. He closed his eyes for good measure, and it was then that the pain hit him. He felt dizzy and two entry wounds were stinging in his chest. He thought he heard Warren's feet pound away and then a moment later, feet running toward him, but it all seemed too far away. After a moment, Guy couldn't feel or hear anything.
~~~~~
Duncan seemed intolerant of the situation, knelt by the bathtub with his hand fumbling around his friend's body. He groused, "I can't find anything." He looked at Elizabeth to ask, "Are you sure there's something here?"
"He's had sharp pains, as if a devise was turned on," Elizabeth choked out, the smell permeating the room, adding to her nausea. "Then it would stop just as suddenly."
Amanda slapped Duncan's hand and said, "Let me. You men are only interested in things that are big. It's probably delicate. Feminine. If something's in there, I'll find it."
Elizabeth didn't know how Amanda gathered the strength to get past the gross factor of fishing her hand through Methos' body, but then considering their shared history, maybe she had done such a thing to Methos before. Feeling sick already, plus the new remembrance of their love affair over the years, Elizabeth was happy Amanda leaned closer to Methos' body as if inspecting something closely so she could get this new thought out of her head.
"What's this?" Amanda contemplated. Elizabeth stood up and leaned over her, excited that she might have found something and this would finally be over.
Amanda's finger was rubbing the underside of one of Methos' ribs, which made Elizabeth hold back a wrecking shiver. Then, Amanda pulled her finger back, with a bloodied, green piece of metal that upon closer inspection resembled a computer chip. It couldn't have been any bigger than the tip of her fingernail. Amanda smiled at Duncan. "See? I've had a lot of practice finding small, expensive things."
Before Elizabeth or Duncan could stop her, Amanda flicked her hand and the chip fell into the toilet, as she announced, "Yuck," as if wanting to get it off her finger.
"No," Elizabeth and Duncan said together. "Don't flush it!" Elizabeth said as she dunked her hand into the toilet water before the chip floated down the pipe.
"What do you want it for?" Amanda asked. "Oh, put it in a piece of meat in the fridge or something? Or wouldn't it be fun to put it in the back of a taxi or something, so that crazy doc wouldn't know where Methos was."
"I don't know," Elizabeth said, holding the chip between her fingers. She then swished it in the toilet water again to clean the blood off as best she could without ruining the chip to see it better. "Methos will want to at least see what was inside of him."
Amanda got to her feet and then washed her bloody hands in one of the sinks. Duncan was going to stand up and inspect the chip closer, but Elizabeth indicated the knife, still embedded in Methos' heart. He grinned, "Do we have to?"
Elizabeth gave him a look, so Duncan pulled the knife out of Methos. He washed it and his hands at the other sink as Elizabeth knelt by the tub and brushed Methos' hair back, waiting for him to revive.
Amanda's cell rang from the other room, and she left to answer it. Duncan took the chip from Elizabeth's finger and held it up to the light. "How can this little thing turn off and on? Modern technology is an amazing thing."
"Sometimes it just plain sick," Elizabeth said, hoping Methos would revive soon, her anger was now taking over. She tried not to look at the stab wounds, incision, or all the blood, instead focused on Methos' peaceful face. She even opened one of his eyes in hopes it would speed up the revival process.
"You didn't stick anything else in him to kill him, did you? Why isn't he waking up?" Elizabeth asked, just before Methos took a deep inhale and coughed. He tried to sit up and get his bearings, but his elbow slipped on all the blood and he fell back down. Elizabeth rubbed his back, saying, "It's all right. We got it, there was something in there."
Methos lifted his head and looked at Duncan, who winked, and then left the room when Methos started to struggle with the healing pain. Elizabeth gave Methos his space as he tightened himself into a ball, grunting with the pain. It always amazed her to watch cuts heal, and she was glad that Duncan and Amanda got everything back inside his body cavity when they were finished, because the skin closed before his insides healed. Even after his skin only held remnants of blood, Methos was still groaning with pain. Elizabeth was getting worried that his insides hadn't been but back right, thinking that she was going to yell at Duncan and Amanda for the rest of her life, but then Methos silenced and tried to get up, but kept slipping on the blood to the point he started laughing.
Now all was right with Elizabeth's world. She helped Methos into a kneeling position, then they both almost fell into the tub when she hugged him for all she was worth. At that point, she didn't want to let him go. There were some nut cases in the world, but for now they were safe. Her husband was alive, monitor-free, and hugging her hard in return. She should have been quite peaceful, but instead she was pissed off. "Imagine! You do a magnificent thing, like giving a sick child a kidney, and in exchange he puts something inside you? I could kill him right now."
"What was it, anyway?"
"I have no idea. Duncan has it."
Methos chuckled and kissed Elizabeth's cheek. "As much as I'd love to take you right now, full of blood and all, I want to clean up and see what the hell that thing is and where the hell it came from."
"Came from? It came from Wamre."
"But, how does it turn off and on and what purpose does it serve? He has to still be in the city."
Elizabeth got to her feet and announced, "I'll track him down and kill the mother fucker where he stands."
"Go get 'em, girl. I'll be right out," Methos said with a laugh. She knew he liked it when she had a fire in her belly that wasn't to his detriment, and it gave her more strength to focus on the deed to be done.
~~~~~
After being allowed to hold Katie and play with her for a bit before Wynonna moved Katie out, Amy walked back to the waiting room where Joey and Claire were trying to best each other at War. Amy was going to argue that Katie would be, and actually was, just fine, but she would go along with the hospital's requirements, so as not to raise more suspicion that something weird had happened to Katie; other than just adapting so well to her new kidney.
Amy was going to sit down and suggest they play a three handed card game, but suddenly had a funny feeling that something was wrong. Before she could get comfortable with the kids, or decide what they were going to do the rest of the day, Amy decided to put on her coat and call Guy and her father to see where they were.
When Amy left the hospital doors and turned on her cell, she saw that she had received a call from a number she didn't recognize. She tried returning the call, but it didn't work. She pushed 11 to call Guy, but there was no answer on his cell. She dialed 15 to call Joe, and there was no answer. Disgruntled, she was going to go back into the hospital, but couldn't shake the bad feeling she had and the chilly wind felt good on her face. Just then, her cell phone rang. It was that same number she hadn't recognize. "Hello?"
There was a pause, and she could hear a exhale before Joe said, "Amy, I finally got a hold of you. I left so quickly, I didn't get the number to the hospital."
"Dad? Where are you?"
"On a plane to Phoenix."
"What?! Why?"
There was another pause, and Joe said, "I don't know how to tell you this, honey," which made the hairs on the back of Amy's neck stand straight out.
"I was on my way to Phoenix in the first place... there's a deal going down that I thought I should be there for..."
"What's going on? Does this have anything to do with Guy?"
The long pause didn't help her psyche at all. Amy yelled, "Dad?! What's going on?!"
Joe finally spoke, "Guy's been shot. From what I gather, he's already in surgery, but it doesn't look good, honey. Two shots in the chest."
Amy couldn't breathe. She actually couldn't stand, either. She slumped down and landed on the sidewalk, her legs straight out in front of her, almost tripping two old women walking by. What Joe was saying on the phone and what the women were badgering her with had no effect on Amy, who could only hear a hard whirr in her ears and her heart started pounding too hard to be healthy.
Joe spoke again, and this time she took it in. "I've arranged a flight for you. Go to JFK, the commuter's wing, and tell them Nisson Enterprises. Got that? JFK Commuter's Wing, Nisson Enterprises flight to Phoenix. They're waiting for you."
Amy did hear that and it did register, but she had no strength to respond or to even hold her arm up to keep the phone at her ear. She slumped completely, absently closing her phone, and started shaking almost uncontrollably. A middle aged man was in front of her before she knew it. "Are you all right?"
"No," she managed to say. The horror of once again being made a widow made Amy faint dead away.
~~~~~
When Methos' shower turned on, Elizabeth shut the bathroom door and joined Duncan at the table, where he was carefully cleaning off the chip with a handkerchief and a bowl of water. "I've never seen anything like it," he said, not even looking at her, he was so dedicated to the chip.
"Where the hell is Joe or Guy?"
"Why?"
"The Watchers have this kind of technology and..." She was going to blame the whole thing on them, but then realized that they were probably as in the dark about Wamre's intentions as they had been. "Anyway, where are they? We have to find Wamre and rip his guts out."
Elizabeth slumped into a chair next to Duncan to looked at the little chip on Duncan's finger. "Do you think it's a tracking devise or something? You know, like I had?"
"To me, it doesn't look like it does a damn thing. I'd like to pull it apart, but thought I'd wait until the most recent owner of it decides what to do with it."
"Pull it apart? You think that's possible? It's so small."
"But there is a casing of some sort..." Duncan looked around. "Do you have a magnifying glass?"
"Um, no."
Just then, Amanda came out of Claire's bedroom, kissed Duncan on the cheek, and said, "I've gotta go. Just for a bit. I'll be back before you miss me," and then she was out the door before either Duncan or Elizabeth could register she had entered and left.
"Must have been some call she got," Elizabeth commented.
Methos came out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a rough rub of the white terrycloth towel. He then dumped it on the couch and knelt close to Duncan and the chip. "What do you make of it?"
"You got a magnifying glass?" Duncan asked Methos, who squinted and shook his head. He then stopped. "Oh, wait. Yeah. Claire has one."
"She does?" Elizabeth asked.
"She wanted to see an atlas I bought in Paris closer, so I bought her one."
Elizabeth was in her room searching for it before anyone could take a breath. She heard Duncan ask what they should do with it and then Methos answered, "Nothing."
Elizabeth stopped and turned to look at him. Methos said, "Go on as if it's still working and inside me. Maybe it will turn on again and we'll see what happens."
Elizabeth leaned against the door jam. "Damn, and here I wanted to smash it with a sledgehammer."
"Good thing we don't have a sledgehammer," Methos said.
"Well, I'll buy one next time I'm shopping, so I can use it on Wamre."
"My little defender," Methos said with a smile and took the chip from Duncan. "Find that magnifying glass yet?"
Elizabeth went back to looking, and was almost sidetracked when she found Claire's diary. She didn't even know she had one. Amanda must have bought it for her. The urge to read it was overwhelming, but she put it back in the night stand drawer and continued looking for a magnifying glass. After five minutes of fruitless searching, Elizabeth told them that she might have left it in Paris or lost it.
Methos was looking at the chip closely with Duncan leaning in close to do so as well. Elizabeth offered, "Should I go buy one?"
"On second thought," Duncan said. "I don't think there's much to see. If you don't want to open it or destroy it, not much we can do with it, except put it back in you, of course."
"Ha, ha. Funny guy." Methos looked around. "Where's the Whirlwind?"
"She got a call and then left," Elizabeth said. "Maybe it has something to do with your surprise party."
Methos shrugged, still focused on the chip. Duncan shook his head. "You told him? Amanda went through the whole production of saying it wasn't a good time for a party, just to surprise you."
"But she told me, and I told him," Elizabeth said.
"You two can't quite get the concept of a 'surprise,' can you?"
"Not when it comes to him," Elizabeth said. "He gets jumpy when he's surprised."
"I do not," Methos said, a bit offended.
There was a bang in the hallway, and Methos jumped out of his chair. "What was that?"
"See?"
"I don't know," Duncan said, getting to his feet and joining Methos at the door.
Elizabeth searched for some sort of weapon, not knowing what the noise could have been, realizing she was a bit jumpy herself with the trauma of the last few hours not quite behind her.
It was a good thing she didn't go for her sword in the closet when Duncan opened the door and saw Joey and Claire walk in. Methos asked, "Rousing the whole hotel?"
"I dropped my book."
"Encyclopedia," Joey said, heaving three large, thick tomes onto the table and exercising his arms. "Remind me never to go to a bookstore with her again."
Elizabeth looked down the hallway before shutting the door. "Where's Amy?"
"At the hospital," Claire said, then asked Joey, "Can you bring these to my room?"
"No."
"Why is she at the hospital and you're here?" Elizabeth asked.
"Because we were bored and went to Schafer's and then here." Claire looked at Elizabeth's probable hot demeanor, and said, "We didn't go anywhere else. Promise. We came right here, just as Amy told us to do."
"You can't go around the city alone."
"Sure we can," Joey said. "I've done it a lot."
"But Claire hasn't."
"She wasn't alone. She was with me."
"You're eleven years old!"
"So?"
"It was only four blocks to the store and six blocks here, Mom," Claire said, before Elizabeth cut her off.
"Don't give me lip. This is important." She strode to the phone to call the hospital, wondering what on earth got into Amy's head to let them go off by themselves in New York City, and then hoped nothing awful happened to Katie to make Amy lose her senses. She looked at Methos, who wasn't expounding the dangers they could have came across as she would have expected. Instead he had slipped the chip into his jeans pocket and was looking at the books Joey had dumped on the table.
"Hello! Am I the only one with some sense here?" Elizabeth yelled at him.
Methos looked at her, as if surprised. "I thought that when we were alone, I would ground the child and list all the possibilities of what could have happened. Also, waiting to see what you did."
"Ground me?" Claire groused. "It was just a few blocks!"
Methos pointed at her. "No lip. Do you see scars from pins in your arm, young lady?" Then, he did one of the last things Elizabeth expected at that moment. He pulled Claire into a hug and said, "I'm glad you're all right and you'll never do that again, right?" then kissed the top of her head.
Elizabeth supposed that after having died, Methos wasn't in the mood to get mad at her, and now she couldn't quite blame him. An operator at the hospital answered, and Elizabeth asked for the pediatric family waiting room. After a few minutes, what sounded like an old man answered gruffly. "Hello, is Amy Barstow there?"
"Amy Barstow anyone?" After a pause, the man said, "Not here," and hung up.
"Great," Elizabeth muttered and dialed the hospital again. "She didn't tell you she was going to go anywhere?"
Both Claire and Joey shook their heads. When the operator answered, Elizabeth asked for the pediatric nurse, Wynonna. She was the one that was covering Katie's section that morning when she had been there, and maybe she knew where Amy was and Katie's condition.
Duncan looked at the books Claire had bought. "Joey wasn't joking. An abridged encyclopedia."
"Couldn't be more proud of her, MacLeod," Methos said, beaming.
"Thanks, Dad."
"Which will make it harder to take your books away, except schoolbooks, for a week, and no TV, videogames, or Ipod, either."
Claire acted as if shot in the heart. "What?"
"I'll reiterate the seriousness of what you did later."
"Sounds like I'm not going to spend much time here for the next week," Joey said, nudging her and chuckling.
"And you, young man," Methos began, but Joey said, "I'm not your kid. You can't ground me."
"True, but I can make your tests miserable...."
Joey stopped laughing and groaned.
Wynonna answered the phone, and after telling Elizabeth that Katie was doing just fine, Elizabeth asked where Amy was. "You know, I'm not sure. She and the kids were in the family waiting room playing cards, and then she went to make a call. I haven't seen her since."
"Thank you," Elizabeth said and hung up. She looked at Claire and Joey. "What call did she get?"
"I don't know."
"Was that why she left you alone in the city?"
"I don't know. While she was gone," Joey said, "Claire and I wanted to go to the bookstore. There's a new Dyno-Man comic out that's supposed to be boss." He lifted the folded comic out of his back pocket.
"Which reminds me," Methos said. "How did you pay for those books, young lady?"
"I still have Amanda's credit card..." Claire said hesitantly. "She gave it to me while I was in one store and she went next door last week. I thought you'd just pay her back."
"You charged on someone else's credit card?" Methos asked incredulously.
"You'll pay her back. It would be easier if I had my own credit card."
"Not in this lifetime. Boy do we have some talking to do, young lady."
"Well, see ya," Joey said, ready to go.
"Whoa, partner. We don't know where your parents are. At least we're responsible and will not let you go read your comic like nothing happened." Methos pulled the comic out of Joey's pant pocket and held it out of Joey's reach. He pointed to Claire and said, "You, in there," then at her bedroom. He pointed to Joey. "You, in there," he said, pointing at his and Elizabeth's bedroom. "Now."
Both kids muttered but walked to their prospective rooms and slammed the doors as if on cue. Elizabeth walked to her bedroom and opened the door. "Joey, your mom didn't say where she was going?"
"NO! Leave me alone!" Joey slammed the door between them again.
Elizabeth sighed. While she called Amy's cell, Methos asked Duncan, "Can't wait to be a father, huh?"
Duncan chuckled and said, "I'm prepping."
"In what way?"
"I actually looked up college fund information on the web last night."
"Getting a little ahead of yourself, aren't you?"
"Can't start too young. Does Claire have one?"
"Um, no."
"Shouldn't she?"
"A year at Harvard is pocket change, MacLeod."
Duncan shrugged. "Yeah, forgot who I was talking to."
"She's not answering her cell," Elizabeth said. "What could have happened to her? She couldn't have been in her right mind to just leave the kids and take off. At least Katie's all right."
"Why wouldn't she be?"
Elizabeth had to agree with Methos. Katie was going to be fine and dandy, at least until she left the hospital. Then it would be worries, about someone wanting to rub out a preimmie, like they had to deal with for Claire, then it would be hoping she doesn't turn too young, then too old, then lose her head.
Elizabeth had to sit down again from the overwhelming thoughts she usually kept buried and tried not to think about and just enjoy each day with their daughter. She thought instead about Amy, and Amanda. "Two missing woman in a short amount of time. Should we be worried? Where are Amy and Amanda, anyway? Is it connected?"
Methos and Duncan looked at each other, and neither had an answer.
~~~~~
Amanda has been in the Empire State Building many times in her long life, but never dressed in black break-in clothing or climbing up through one of the building's elevator's trap door in the ceiling. She wished she had worn some flatter shoes, but the chunky tie ups that were choking her feet were the only ones she had with her on this trip with a rubber sole and she didn't have time to go shopping. Having sore feet was better than noisy footsteps. Although she was a power shopper and had managed to purchase an entire ball gala ensemble in 20 minutes one time, she wanted to get this escapade over with fast. Half way through the opening, she was stressed and a bit pissed at herself that she couldn't hoist herself up. Damn, all this high living with Mac has been terrible for her muscles. Well, some muscles, she mused. "I have to get back to the gym..."
A hand appeared before her face. "Need some help?" he asked cordially.
Amanda said, "If I could lift one arm up to take your hand, Corey, I wouldn't need a hand at all, now would I?"
Corey Raines, Amanda's partner in crime during three time periods, winked at her and knelt down in front of her. He wrapped his arms under hers and lifted them both up to a standing position. Being so close to him, while she was betrothed to another, made Amanda instinctively step back from him, even though his arms were still around her.
When he finally let go, Amanda heaved a sigh and stepped back again, proud of her ability to get out of a handsome man's arms. To her detriment, she almost fell back through the trap door opening again. Luckily, Corey had quick hands and took a fistful of her black sweater at the chest and yanked her back to him. This time his arms closed around her and he didn't let go. He breathed into her ear, "Got your footing?"
"Yeah, thanks."
"You should have worn sensible shoes." Corey still held her. He smelled of pine needles, musk, and tobacco. What a creation of packaged scents, but actually together, on him, they didn't smell half bad. It didn't hurt that Corey always did have a way of making her do anything, even this half-assed plan she got herself trapped into undertaking. In order to put her mind back on the task instead of on the man, she asked, "Been deer hunting or something, Raines? Nice cologne."
"I'm not wearing any." His voice was too smoky and what she imagined was his perfectly sculpted body under his black turtleneck sweater and black khakis was too close for her to stay that close to him.
"You can let go of me now."
"You sure? You're not going to fall?"
"I'm not going to fall," she promised. He let one arm drop as he smiled.
"You can take your hand off my ass too."
"If you insist," he replied, but didn't. He squeezed it instead.
Amanda groaned and took it off for him. "I'm a married woman, you know. That's all in the past." She even took off the black leather glove from her left hand to show him the spectacular diamond wedding ring she was proud to wear.
"Call me after the divorce," he tossed out, then bent down to pick up his bag.
"There won't be one," Amanda said, in what seemed to her ears to sound a bit defensive. Corey Raines did something to her she never could explain, but that was neither here nor there. She was going to pull this job to repay him, then all favors were settled, and she would go back to her husband, wait for their child, and finish the plans for Methos' birthday party.
"You'll have to shimmy up a few floors to the one we need," Corey said, already making his way up the cable.
Amanda wished she was at a different vantage point. All she could see was Corey's slim ass as he made his way up the cable with almost sexual momentum. She shouldn't think about him, his ass, or any part of him. She was married, for God's sake. "Well, that doesn't mean I'm dead."
Corey looked down at her and whispered, "What?"
"Nothing."
Corey stepped onto the ledge of the closed elevator door two floors above and turned to stand safely and looked down at her. "Well? You coming."
"Of course. Just wanted to wait... no bother." Amanda put her leather gloves on the cable and looked down at her feet. She really had to remember to pack sensible break-in shoes. One strap was already biting into her pinky toe on her right foot. Those bonds better be there, was all Amanda thought as she hoisted herself up a ways and finally accomplished a reasonable hold with her feet on the cable, then lifted herself up again. And again. Her arms were stinging but Corey's cocky grin at how long it was taking her was enough to make her keep going.
Just as she was going to take Corey's hand and make it to the ledge, the elevator hummed, then whirred, and then started downward. This was a service elevator and she had pushed the hold button! This can't happen!
"Shit!" she bellowed, holding onto the cable for dear life as she slowly sunk down the shaft with the elevator. Corey's attempt at grabbing her hand worked, and she was hanging by a sweaty palm under a leather glove. She looked up at Corey with fear and almost loathing for him getting her into this position in the first place and hoped he could lift her up. Amanda looked down to see the elevator was at least four floors below her.
Corey's face was beet red, he only held her with one hand, using the other to hold himself to the ledge. "Pull me up," she urged, but she knew he was trying.
Amanda managed to put her other hand to Corey's and thought of climbing up his arm to safety, but who was she kidding? Her arms were already dead tired. Corey seemed to start to falter and he told her, "Sorry," as she slipped from his grip. He called to her, "I'll get you when the elevator comes back up, hopefully..." as she fell.
"That bastard! How does he always manage to get me into...," was the last thing on Amanda's mind as she slammed fatally onto the top of the elevator.
CONTINUED